William Barret Travis - a very great American Hero

William Barret Travis was the key man in the expansion of the USA into the west of North America.

William Travis was born on August 9 1809 in Saluda County, South Carolina.

Travis moved to Alabama and became an attorney. He also served as an adjutant of a militia regiment.

In 1831 Travis moved to Texas, then a part of Mexico. He continued his law practice.

In 1835 the Texicans, as they were then known, rebelled against Mexico. This was a result of the Mexican government changing their tax policy. The Mexican government had offered some of their northern territories in Texas to settlers with a tax holiday. This was because those territories had hostile Indians. Many settlers came from the USA, and took out Mexican citizenship and swore loyalty to Mexico. They either killed or drove away the hostiles. After Texas was pacified, the Mexican government decided to tax the Texicans the same as all other Mexican citizens. The revolution was nothing to do with "freedom"; it was all about money.

General Sam Houston ordered Travis, now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texican army, to take command of the garrison at the Alamo.

The Alamo was a fortified mission at San Antonio. It was built to withstand attacks by hostile Indians, and possessed several cannon.

The Mexican army attacked the Alamo and took it. The garrison of the Alamo were overrun on March 6 1836. Travis himself was shot in the head while defending the north wall, and died immediately.

The Mexicans executed the Texican prisoners that they took. This was legally permissible, because the Texican rebels were traitors in law. It turned out, however, to be an unwise policy.

The Mexicans burned the bodies of the dead Texicans. There are therefore no graves, but plaques were erected after the eventual Texican victory. Travis's plaque gives his date of birth as August 1, which is probably incorrect.

The Alamo, although technically a defeat, is remembered in Texas as a victory.

Travis's gallant defence delayed the Mexican army's advance, giving General Sam Houston time to gather his forces. Houston then crushed the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21 1836.

Without Travis, there might have been no defence of the Alamo. Without the Alamo, there might have been no victory at San Jacinto. Without San Jacinto, there might have been no Texas. Without Texas, there might have been no western United States. In my submission, Travis changed the whole history of the USA.